The present invention relates generally to electrical outlet or junction boxes (hereinafter, "electrical outlet boxes") and more particularly to molded plastic electrical outlet boxes adapted for mounting to a suitable wall-support structure such as a sheet metal stud.
In most residential applications, electrical outlet boxes are secured to wooden studs (which support a wallboard) by nails inserted through nail guide structures formed on the box. However, in several important applications, such as in mobile homes, business offices, etc., the studs supporting the wallboard are made of sheet metal. In such applications, it is impractical to use nails for mounting the box to the stud. Accordingly, blank outlet boxes (i.e. formed without nail guides) are fitted with a mounting bracket suited for permanent attachment to the stud.
Heretofore, one way of attaching the mounting bracket to the outlet box consists of molding the bracket into, and as part of, one of the sidewalls of the outlet box. However, although such attachment may be adequate for some applications, it necessarily complicates fabrication of the box, thereby increasing the associated costs, and may cause a weakening in the sidewall in which the bracket is molded.
Another way of attaching the mounting bracket to the outlet box consists of bolting the bracket directly to a sidewall or to the backwall. Such attachment may be adequate, but complicates installation and requires numerous parts, thereby increasing fabrication costs as well as installation time.
Still another way of attaching the mounting bracket to the outlet box includes a bracket member having bent arms to engage extensions formed in the box, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 25,593 issued to Palmer. Although such attachment may be adequate, both the mounting bracket as well as the molded outlet box are of substantially complicated design, thereby complicating fabrication and increasing costs thereof.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical outlet box mounting assembly. Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical outlet box mounting assembly for mounting an outlet box formed without nail guide members to a support stud and the like.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a new and improved electrical outlet box mounting assembly wherein the outlet box can be made of a moldable plastic material independently of the mounting bracket.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical outlet box mounting assembly capable of relatively easy and inexpensive fabrication as well as simple assembly and installation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical outlet box and associated mounting bracket capable of "snap" lockable interconnection.
Objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be appreciated herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims. Accordingly, the invention is believed to reside in the novel parts, structures, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.